I CHOOSE JOY....and why you should too!

I've always believed that joy is a choice and I still do. In my opinion, joy and happiness aren't the same thing and you can definitely have one without the other. Happiness doesn't exist in a bad moment....but joy actually can.
Happiness is a state of being..or in other terms...the natural flowing side effect of a good experience. Sooooo.......what determines if the experience is good or not? Well, that comes from each individual persons own definition of what they like or dislike. For example, I dislike snakes, but my husband likes them and can and will pick them up and enjoy holding and looking at them as if he's holding and looking at say.....a kitten. In that moment he's unbelievably happy....me.....not so much. Similarly, I really like the experience of shopping and can literally spend hours wandering through racks and aisles looking for bargains. In that moment I'm euphorically happy....Ben....not even close..he's in chest gripping dread thinking of what I could be spending or even considering spending.
Consider the photo of a person in a bright yellow bathing suit smiling at an under water camera with bubbles coming from their nose for someone that may trigger great memories of a tropical vacation and lots of laughter and adventure......good experience = happiness. For the person sitting next to them however, that exact same photo may trigger horrible memories where they couldn't breathe under water...or fear of the unclear water behind them that could be hiding dangerous things.....bad experience = unhappiness. How about the public announcement of a pregnancy or an engagement? For some those things are wonderful and happy because they've had good experiences, while for others those things can cause deep sadness, feelings of inadequacy, and even depression because they long for things that have yet to be fulfilled. A photo of a loving couple sitting in a romantically lit restaurant staring into each others eyes longingly may make one person's heart go pitter patter with feelings of romance.....while another feels disgust as they look for wedding rings and wonder if they are having an affair. Happiness is not an across the board given....it's subjectively based on our experiences or perceptions.

 Joy, however, well...it's more than an event...it goes deeper than that....it's a little more abstract....it's an essence....an essence of being one way in spite of things being another way....and it usually requires our cooperation.....it's a purposefully made choice. How though do we choose joy? How do we envelope that essence? It starts with us deciding WHERE our joy comes from.....what is our source. I mean dissecting the raw REAL source we draw our definition of joy from. Does our joy come from the fleeting and completely imperfect things this life and other humans have to offer...or does it come from something else? If our definition of joy is based on life circumstances and people....then we've unintentionally and unknowingly tied our definition of joy in with our definition of happiness. If that happens....our joy will always fall short and we will always be on a roller coaster ride based on how our day or our life is going. I don't know about you, but I don't like emotional whiplash.

For us Christians, our definition of joy cannot be tied to our definition of happiness. Instead, it MUST be based on the character traits of who we know and are learning the triune God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) to be.  

I cannot stress that last comment enough....so I'm going to repeat myself in a slightly different way...

.....our definition of joy MUST ONLY be based on THE CHARACTER TRAITS of GOD.......NOT on a person, circumstance, event, or situation and certainly NOT on a feeling.....not even on how we perceive God SHOULD perform....but on His character traits. 

 Like it or not, there are some things we Jesus folk really need to understand....and we just HAVE to grasp this because it's literally causing way too many Christians to sink in their faith walk because they are walking around miserable, hopeless, bitter and just plain dried out. Weary is one thing....we ALL get battle weary....but to be spiritually mummified is a whole other issue. We're supposed to bring salt and light to the world....not Jesus jerky. I know that may sound funny...but seriously....pay attention here...

1) Humans have free will, which means we and those around us can make horrible choices that are cruel and selfish and downright evil and can affect....well....almost everything. (Free will explained) (i.e. a) people we work with can be jerks b) spouses can lie or say cruel things c) drivers can cut us off d) people can commit heinous crimes etc. etc. etc. )

2) Since the fall of man....we live in a "fallen nature" (imperfect) world that is, ALSO like it or not, subject to the natural laws of science and nature instead of God's perfect laws. ( i.e. a) gravity pulls things down b) germs and lack of sleep can cause us to get sick c) weather patterns can wreak disastrous havoc d) lemon bars, potato chips and fettuccine alfredo make us fat etc. etc. etc.)

To choose to be joyful in the face of adversity and cruelty and trauma is hard....sometimes it feels impossible...but I promise you...it's not. I've been through some really hard things, some traumatic things, some potentially embittering things....many at the hands of people that I loved and trusted....and even now there is a battle that my husband and I are fighting together that could easily be cause to steal our joy. However, through EVERYTHING....even when I'm too wounded or weary to actually talk to God....I go to His Word and let Him speak to me and I feel my joy...my essence of being, restored in the midst of whatever hell I'm tearfully fighting through.
The cooperation portion of the essence is I have to ALLOW myself to BELIEVE that there is hope. I have to ALLOW myself to BELIEVE that God is actually who He says He is. I have to ALLOW myself to BELIEVE that God actually really does love me and doesn't want to hurt me and let me down the way humans have hurt me and let me down. Don't fool yourself either...we all SAY we believe that...and sing the songs and run around like joy filled Polly Pockets when life is grand....but the reality is...when life is horrible we do not function in joy...we function in fear, anger, CONTROL, bitterness, rejection, etc, etc, etc. Choosing to cooperate with joy takes effort....God knows and has always known that. That's why in the Bible He makes a big deal of telling the Israelites to set up stones of remembrance to REMIND themselves of God's character through what He's done for them. He protected them, rescued them, defended them, repeatedly forgave them and gave them another chance, provided for them, rallied them.....SAVED them. In Hebrews 13:8 we are told flat out that Jesus (part of the triune God- Father, Son, Holy Spirit) is the SAME...yesterday, today and FOREVER....so guess what. That means God will STILL protect us, rescue us, defend us, repeatedly forgive us and give us another chance, provide for us, rally us, and has already saved us. So to get the essence of joy? KNOW GOD'S CHARACTER.....His character proves that we are safe in His care...no matter what hell we are currently in....no matter if we understand or not...we don't NEED to understand....we just need to patiently endure.

Hebrews 10:35-36(NLT) So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.

Psalm 40:1-3(NLT) I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair,out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed.They will put their trust in the Lord.

Here are some links to verses to help you learn the character of God and some to help you get that essence of joy going in the face of adversity. ( Click on each reference to read the verse.)

Romans 12:12

Psalm 94:19

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Daniel 3:16-30

Psalm 9:2

Isaiah 61:10

Daniel 6:16-28

2 Kings 6:15-17

Proverbs 17:22

Psalm 34:1-19

Habakkuk 3:17-19

Genesis 22:1-19

Philippians 4:4-9

Psalm 119:111

Malachi 4:2

Isaiah 43:1-7

Isaiah 43:10-21

Romans 5:3-4

Psalm 35:10

1 Peter 1:8-9

Psalm 16:11

1 Timothy 6:7-8

Psalm 119:114

Isaiah 41:8-13

2 Corinthians 12:8-10

Psalm 46:1-3

Jeremiah 29:11

Psalm 34:4

Nehemiah 8:10

Psalm 91

Psalm 116

Romans 12:1-3

Love,
Fran
~JOY ALL WAYS~

Throwback Thursday - Unexpected Sparks

It's that time again, another throwback to my old entries at the b+ blog. Hope you enjoy.

Sunday, September 18, 2005

Unexpected Sparks

"Our brightest blazes of gladness are commonly kindled by unexpected sparks."
~Samuel Johnson

Have you ever had something fly out at you from left field and completely take you off guard? Of course you have....we ALL have....it's part of life. Some of those things that surprise us are good.........others aren't. The water main that broke in my house this week and ruined all of my furniture and donations for the homeless, wasn't a good thing. It was totally unexpected, unprepared for, and most definitely, unwanted.

SSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhh.........POW!!! Curveball...left field.

Some of the things that hit us unexpectedly are FAR more tragic though......far more deep and earth shattering for us. Things that scar us and drag us to the depths of grief and agony. Hurricane Katrina is a good example. It wasn't a good thing, it was somewhat expected...but not to the cataclysmic level of devastation that it caused...and it is VERY safe to say that it was unwanted by ALL.

PPPFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFfffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffttttttttttt..........**BOOM**!!!!! Cannon hit.........from behind.

What happens when we get hit out of the blue like that? Well....there are a few emotional and understandable possibilities.
Panic.......when everything goes into a slow motion dream state and you feel like you're watching a movie, because this couldn't possibly be happening. 
Shock........when you step back for a moment, survey your surroundings or what's left of them, you realize it is happening and you're helpless to do anything to stop it.
Devestation.......when your mind and heart begin to tally the depth of the loss that sends you into a tailspin.
Hopelessness.......the process of being in that tailspin, as you see the ground rapidly approaching your face.
Anger.......the justifiable rage at HOW could this have happened, WHO is to blame, and WHO will make it right.
Peace...........what?!?! PEACE?!?!?!? That doesn't fit in here.....WHAT peace?? We're talking tragedy and loss here.....they don't go hand in hand in this discussion......................................or do they? Foreign concept, ISN'T it?
However, somewhere.....buried within each unexpected hit....no matter how tragic..how devastating...how much it brings you to the depths of agony that you never even knew could be felt by a human......SOMEWHERE....there is a scarlet chord of hope and purpose that will, IN TIME......give birth to peace.

For me, the peace this week was in knowing that despite all the loss in my home our insurance will help us rebuild and replace the material things that were destroyed.
For others it goes deeper. I'm sure you're thinking to yourself...how selfish of her...how callous and unfeeling to use Katrina as a comparison because, there is no good that's come out of it...NO peace. I beg to differ though.
Just this week I saw a story about a family who went through Katrina and have reached and anchored into their peace.
They are a loving, poor African American family who were already experiencing the pangs of desperation before they lost everything...well.....not everything. You see...for them, they will never mourn the losses of their home, their car, their jobs, their possessions, their pets or whatever else they lost.....in fact....they will look back at Katrina as a miraculous answer to prayer. How on earth could that be possible....we've all seen and heard the stories of tragedy on TV. Well........it's very simple.
Their son who was lying in the hospital dying, because he was in desparate need of a heart transplant, is now alive even though they were told there was no hope for him. How? Well....they were poor and had no money to pay for all the special things he needed to sustain him until a donor could be found. So they sat at his bedside on a death watch......waiting for the moment he would take his last breath.
Suddenly however, a miracle came their way in the form of hurricane Katrina. The hospital was evacuated and they along with their son were transported to a children's hospital in Texas, a hospital that specializes in heart transplants for children. Suddenly....in realizing that this family had lost everything, the government paid for a special flight to Germany, for the hospital staff to pick up and PAY for the very expensive device that was needed to save his life, and flew it back to Texas and inserted it into his body so he could live. Now, this family, who would have not only lost their beloved son, but all they had worked for in their lives...has been handed a scarlet chord of hope and PEACE. They will never regret the loss of their home....or their possessions....and they will never curse hurricane Katrina....hard as that is to believe....because out of the ash heap, they have been handed something beautiful....the life of their dear son.

We are all victims of unexpected circumstances at some point in our lives....some worse than others....but somewhere....buried deep within....there can be found peace.
What do I wish for you? What do I pray for you? I pray that whatever hits you....no matter how devastating....you find and grasp onto your scarlet chord of peace and let it lead you to the brightest blazes of gladness that lie somewhere beyond the tragedy of the moment.

Peace,
~FG (I went by the pseudonym of FrannieGirl at the time, hence the FG)

Broken Halos : When you Fall Short

Hey Everyone,

How many times have you felt like a complete failure as a Christian? Like somehow you dropped the ball because if you were a "good" Christian, things would be going differently? Well, be encouraged....we've ALL had those feelings and we've ALL thought at times that we are missing the mark. However, the good news is that....God DOESN'T think you're a failure!!! In fact, in His eyes, you're a success! You know why.....because you are His and calling on Him for help! Here's a short little video to encourage you and remind you that God is bigger than any broken halo you may think you have.
Click here to view, Broken Halos and be encouraged to know that you aren't alone!

💮Joy All Ways,
Fran

Sweet Victory

One year ago today I found myself unexpectedly dropped at the base of a spiritual mountain. It looked and felt insurmountable at the time.I had never been in that place before....never experienced what I was suddenly experiencing and several of the people I would normally have gone to for prayer and encouragement were no longer an option. I was in uncharted territory.
My immediate response was to forgive the people involved (Matthew 6:14-15)...I just could not afford to harbor bitterness. Hurt of course takes longer to heal...but I knew in order to get over the hurt later on I first had to forgive or I would get nowhere. So I did.
Next, I prayed....I immediately fell back on Luke 6:28....and I prayed blessings on all the people involved like I had never prayed blessings before.

Then I waited.............for three months I waited. I cried, I prayed....and I waited some more. Those closest to me like my husband and my friends and family prayed and encouraged me....and we ALL waited. There were times I wondered when God would show up....I never doubted that He WOULD act....I just didn't know when. I kept telling people that I knew there would come a time when I would be able to look back and say it was all worth it. I knew that no matter how much pain I was in...somewhere down the road it would be a war story that had a victorious ending....I just needed to stand firm and wait.

Let me tell you something....God showed up...just like the Bible says He will. Three months later, almost to the day, breakthrough showed up in a series of phone calls.  In little ways along the journey God reminded me that He had already fought the battle for me, but at the end of that three month period He SHOWED me. GOD ALWAYS KEEPS HIS PROMISES.
I'm telling you readers this because I don't know what you're going through....but I do know God keeps His promises. If you keep seeking God and keep obeying what His word says to do when the enemy strikes....you WILL see victory...and I promise you, it will be better than anything you imagined...the blessings will be beyond words and all that you lost will be restored to greater than before. You may not have the same people in your life and the environment may have changed....but believe me....it will make what you lost, pale in comparison to what you have gained. How long will it take? I don't know, but God knows. Mine only took 3 months, yours may take a few days, a few months or a few years, but GOD ALWAYS KEEPS HIS PROMISES. So hang in there....don't give up your victory is coming.

Matthew 6:14-15

Amplified Bible (AMP)

¹⁴ For if you forgive people their trespasses [their ^[a]reckless and willful sins, ^[b]leaving them, letting them go, and ^[c]giving up resentment], your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

¹⁵ But if you do not forgive others their trespasses [their ^[d]reckless and willful sins, ^[e]leaving them, letting them go, and ^[f]giving up resentment], neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses.

Luke 6:28

Amplified Bible (AMP)

²⁸ Invoke blessings upon and pray for the happiness of those who curse you, implore God’s blessing (favor) upon those who abuse you [who revile, reproach, disparage, and high-handedly misuse you].

(OR) 

Aramaic Bible in Plain English (©2010)

“Bless those who curse you, and pray over those who take you away by force.”

Ephesians 6:13

New Living Translation (NLT)

¹³ Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.

 Romans 8:28

Amplified Bible (AMP)

²⁸ We are assured and know that [^[a]God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.

 1 Corinthians 2:9

New Living Translation (NLT)

⁹ That is what the Scriptures mean when they say,

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
    and no mind has imagined
what God has prepared
    for those who love him.”^[a]

 

1 Corinthians 15:57

Amplified Bible (AMP)

⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory [making us conquerors] through our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Cor. 2:14

Sifting Out The Impurities

Luke 22:31-32 (AMP)

³¹Simon, Simon (Peter), listen! Satan has asked excessively that [all of] you be given up to him [out of the power and keeping of God], that he might sift [all of] you like grain,

    ³²But I have prayed especially for you [Peter], that your [own] faith may not fail; and when you yourself have turned again, strengthen and establish your brethren.

Nowadays with all the modern processing and regulations for food it really isn't necesary to sift flour or grain like it was in the past. It used to be sifted to take out clumps and impurities...like bugs. EWWWW.......
On October 5th I began an unexpected spiritual journey....a sifting period that I certainly didn't want....but that I decided the best way to walk through it would be to walk with hope and expectancy that God would show Himself faithful like I believed He would. Sooooo, I made a list of rules that I would not compromise on; No whining, no complaining, no fault-finding, no bitterness and no unforgiveness....just daily seeking the heart of Christ......no matter what. The second night God gave me a Bible verse that really spoke to my heart...I discussed it briefly in my entry titled Water In The Wilderness. Don't get me wrong....I've cried....and I've worried a bit...and I've had a few moments of feeling sorry for myself, but every time God has either used the Bible, my husband Ben, song lyrics or Christian friends to encourage me and speak the truth to me.
During it all there was a thread I kept seeing regarding God's faithfulness as it related to people's obedience and times before great victory.....the number 40.

• It rained for 40 days and nights with Noah (Gen 7:12)
  
• Moses spent 40 days on the mountain with God...then he spent ANOTHER 40 days on the mountain with God after he disciplined the people. (Deu 10:10)
  
• The spies searched out the promised land for 40 days. (Num 13:25)
  
• The Jews wandered in the wilderness for 40 years because of their complaining and disobedience. (Num 14:33-34)
  
• Goliath tormented the Israelites for 40 days before David killed him. (1 Sam 17:16)
  
• Elijah spent 40 days and 40 nights on Mount Horeb (1 Kings 19:8)
  
• Ninevah was given 40 days and in that time they repented and were saved (Jonah 3:4)
  
• Jesus fasted in the wilderness for 40 days (Matt 4:1,2)
  
• Jesus appeared on earth for 40 days after the crucifixion and resurrection (Acts 1:3)
  

 So whyyyyyyyy am I mentioning the references to the number 40?  Well, last Friday morning as I was brushing my teeth I looked up at the bathroom mirror to where I have stuck a post it note with the Bible verse Isaiah 54:10 (MSG) written on it. As I read it I suddenly felt what us old dog Christians call "a prompting in my spirit" that said, "Your 40 days are almost over". My body shot up straight as an arrow and I ran into the kitchen to look at the calendar. With toothpaste dripping from the side of my mouth I counted the days since October 5th. Sure enough.......Monday, November 14th marks 40 days. Since it's after midnight now as I'm writing this.....that means TODAY is my day 40.
Does that mean that everything is suddenly going to be hearts and flowers.........I don't know......maybe, and maybe not.........I have no idea what the next 22 hours hold...or beyond that.  I do know however that God has a plan and it is better than anything I could ever ask for or think.  I also know that I've made it through the past 40 days with God's grace and total favor and I have seen Him work in ways that have deepened my passion for Him and for His never ending faithfulness. I also know that even if I continue to go through a season of being sifted like wheat....I will CONTINUE to JOYFULLY praise God even in the face of adversity because I know that the byproduct of sifting is that impurities are removed. If I only praise Him and thank Him in the good times then what kind of faith do I really have....and if I think I have no more impurities that need to be removed then who do I really think I am? Only God is pure....and I'm certainly not God.

I don't know what you are going through right now, I don't know how hard your battle is or how long you've been carrying it....but I do know that God is faithful...even when we don't see or feel it. So don't give up or lose hope....your victory is on it's way.

Psalm 34:1 (KJ21)

 I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Why Were We Saved?

  Why were we saved?

 Were we saved for times of ease and privilege?

Were we saved for the sake of our miserable selves?

The answer to both...is no...neither of those is why we were saved. Will ease and privilege come? Possibly....after all, we are God's children and He LOVES to lavish us with blessings large and small just like any healthy parent wants to do for their child. Were we lost and languishing in a pig stye of emotional, mental,physical and spiritual garbage before we were saved? Yes....the very turning point of giving our lives to God is realizing that we are in a place that we shouldn't be and we need a savior to rescue us.

Are those THE reasons we were saved though? Not even close. We were saved so that we can then be a link in the chain to help save others. Look, I'm going to break it down pretty simply. If we only gave our heart to God so He could make our lives easy and clean up the garbage in our lives....then that's kind of like trying to watch a 3d movie without the glasses...it's blurry and out of focus.

So what does scripture have to say about this question?Well...in 1 Peter 2:9 it says,
To "proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." 


How do we proclaim His excellencies? Well.....first we have to start by defining what darkness is. Websters defines it as follows.

¹dark adj \ˈdärk\

1: devoid or partially devoid of light : not receiving, reflecting, transmitting, or radiating light 

3a : arising from or showing evil traits or desires :  b : dismal, gloomy  c : lacking knowledge or culture d : relating to grim or depressing circumstances 

I think it's safe to say after reading that, that we have all known darkness....and if we have given our lives to God then that darkness is a very stark contrast to the light now in our hearts and lives.

It is that contrast, that difference, that before and after that we are supposed to proclaim. Never to brag or make others still struggling feel like failures....if you remember when you were in that place, feeling like a failure was never a problem. The reason we were saved was so that we can reach out to others who are still enveloped in the darkness of hopelessness and let them know that they are loved, they have a purpose and they don't have to remain in that place. So when ease and privilege are taken away or seem out of reach. When hard times hit and you quite simply don't know what to do...don't complain or get angry...don't drink bitterness because this hasn't gone the way you hoped or expected. Grab onto your faith, get into the word and remember.....those things were never promised to you. Instead look for how God is showing Himself to you every moment of every day because once you get to the other side....you will be proclaiming His excellencies of how He brought you out of darkness and into the light to countless others who need the insight you will have to offer.

2 Corinthians 4:8,9,15,16 (AMP)

⁸We are hedged in (pressed) on every side [troubled and oppressed in every way], but not cramped or crushed; we suffer embarrassments and are perplexed and unable to find a way out, but not driven to despair; ⁹We are pursued (persecuted and hard driven), but not deserted [to stand alone]; we are struck down to the ground, but never struck out and destroyed ¹⁵For all [these] things are [taking place] for your sake, so that the more grace (divine favor and spiritual blessing) extends to more and more people and multiplies through the many, the more thanksgiving may increase [and rebound] to the glory of God. ¹⁶Therefore we do not become discouraged (utterly spiritless, exhausted, and wearied out through fear). Though our outer man is [progressively] decaying and wasting away, yet our inner self is being [progressively] renewed day after day. 

There is Water In The Wilderness

 

Have you ever felt exiled? Felt like you are walking in the wilderness? 

I'm sure you have....we all have at times. It's a normal part of our life here on earth and as a Christian it's a normal part of our walk and growth. I'm in a season of that right now. Does it mean God isn't there? Not at all. These are the times when He is closer than ever. These are the times when we will look back and say.."....as hard and painful as it was....I would go through it all over again to get to where I am now." For every thorn there is a rose. For every curse there is a bigger blessing. When your times and seasons of wilderness come, and they will...don't turn your back to God and don't shut down and crumble. Instead latch on to Him stronger than you ever have. Here is a verse He gave me last night and it is giving me great encouragement. I pray it does for you as well when you are in a wilderness season. Always remember, it's not the event(s) that determine our time in the wilderness....it's how we handle it that matters. I pray that you and I handle our times of wilderness with grace, honor and faith.

Isaiah 54:10

The Message (MSG)

 ^9-10"This exile is just like the days of Noah for me:
   I promised then that the waters of Noah
   would never again flood the earth.
I'm promising now no more anger,
   no more dressing you down.
For even if the mountains walk away
   and the hills fall to pieces,
My love won't walk away from you,
   my covenant commitment of peace won't fall apart."
   The God who has compassion on you says so. 

Dawning of A New Day

LOL...that used to be me. I HATED Mondays. I hated giving up my few precious hours of personal free time just so I could go back to the hamster wheel. Of course, the company I worked for certainly didn't help things any either. It was such a toxic environment that even 5 minute bathroom breaks became precious mental vacations.When the time came and the door opened, the choice to leave that job was not a hard one. I practically skipped out to the car that last day. LOL. 

I still get tired, I still get frazzled and I still think weekends go by WAYYYYY too fast, however, now I LOVE Mondays!! They have truly become my favorite day of the week. No really...they REALLY are. There is just something about a fresh slate that has become more intoxicating to me than ever before. Somehow the sun feels warmer, the air fresher and the sky bluer (watch, tomorrow will be cloudy..LOL) on a Monday. It's the start of a whole new week and anything can happen. Yeah I have to go to work and yeah I'm going to be up early and to bed late...but there is still a freshness that I relish! The excitement of the unknown...what will the morning, the day or the week hold? It's the start of another seven day adventure! 

I think when we start to shift our thinking and instead of expecting the worst, we hope for the best...we will be amazed at what God brings our way. We must stop letting the tiny irritants define our course and instead appreciate every tiny blessing that crosses our path and let it be the wind in our sails! I love this quote,

"I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it. "
~ Groucho Marx 

I pray you have a WONDERFUL week filled with so many little blessings that you lose count! Happy Monday morning my friends....it's going to be a great day and a wonderful week!  

Psalm 118:24 (New Living Translation)

 ²⁴ This is the day the Lord has made.
      We will rejoice and be glad in it.

De-coding

**WARNING: Don't get thrown off by the hefty start to this entry...there are some good points further down if you can hang in with me.**

Deoxyribonucleic acid..........say that three times fast.....no? Yeah, I don't blame you, even correctly pronouncing it once is enough to tie a cherry stem in a knot on your tongue. Sooooooo, for the purpose of this blog entry and our own sanity, we'll use it's more common name...DNA. Don't worry though, I have no intention of discussing grooves, base pairing or supercoiling here. Fascinating as it may be, genetics is not my field of expertise so any attempt on my part to try and explain molecular studies would be like asking Fozzy Bear to explain the stock market.
So then why did I bring up the subject of DNA if I don't plan to discuss it? Well....I do plan to discuss it, but in a way that perhaps you haven't thought of before. 

For weeks.... well, I suppose it's really been months...I've been trying to create a blog button and pull box to use here at AMH. You might think that would be a simple task....but html code and I don't mix well...so it's been an absolute nightmare logistically. Every time I thought I had it, I would test the code and "DENIED" 
.....*sigh*....exasperating to say the least. Some nights I would just break into tears from sheer frustration and exhaustion. See, the funny thing about html is that one simple keystroke can mean the difference between success or failure....a space where it doesn't belong or an extra bracket can corrupt the entire code....similar to our own DNA. A seemingly simple molecular change can change EVERYTHING.  

(On a sidenote though, I did finally get that html code to work as you may have already noticed if you already saw the grab button and pull box over on the side column here. Special thanks to Beth at Uppercase Living for the BEAUTIFUL design! xoxo )


When talking genetics, these errors in coding are called mutations. For my purposes here today I'm not going to go into detail about all the many kinds of mutations, although it really is FASCINATING stuff. I'm specifically going to refer to something called a frame-shift mutation, because they disrupt the entire gene code. If you want to read more about genetics though in a very reader friendly format, please feel free to check out my source for the following definition found at Genetic Health.
       In a frame shift mutation, one or more bases are inserted or deleted, the equivalent of adding or removing letters in a sentence. But because our cells read DNA in three letter "words", adding or removing one letter changes each subsequent word. This type of mutation can make the DNA meaningless and often results in a shortened protein. An example of a frame-shift mutation using our sample sentence is when the 't' from cat is removed, but we keep the original letter spacing:

Original	The fat cat ate the wee rat.
Frame Shift	The fat caa tet hew eer at.

So where am I going with this? Well, last week I was talking to a friend of mine about the thought patterns in our lives. She was telling me how when she was in her first marriage she had become so accustomed to having to take on the responsibilities of her, less than enthusiastic husband that even after her divorce years later and remarriage she was still programed to think she had to carry that role. Now, her current husband is a wonderful man who is strong in his faith and an excellent worker, provider and her biggest fan so she should be able to rest easy right? Well, yes.....but there is the small issue of coding. Mental, emotional and spiritual coding...like html code or DNA code...if one simple line of bad coding gets in there it completely shuts things down or causes them to function in a manner they were never intended to. Her mind had been coded for so many years to think she was responsible to carry certain roles in the family. So much so in fact, that when her job came to a crossroads she was feeling stressed wondering how they were going to make it. 

   It took another friend of ours to remind this woman of the blessing she has in her current husband. Her fears of not being able to make it were no longer founded because she has been blessed with a Godly husband who is more than willing and able to carry the load for their household should she suddenly find herself out of work. That realization was earth shattering for her....her previously imbalanced world had suddenly become balanced! As she processed the thought and let it really take hold she began to see and feel shackles fall off of her mind and her spirit. Her coding had a bad line thrown in the mix years ago and she had become so accustomed to the malfunction that it became normal. Armed with her new found freedom however, a weight has been lifted off of her life. Her coding has been corrected and she can now function in a healthy way again.   
You and I are like that...we all have within us, bad lines of coding that need to be removed so that we can function properly. The secret is to stop pretending those lines don't exist, but to recognize it and where it came from so that we can address the REAL problem. Maybe your bad coding came from an abusive or non-existent parent, or a trauma early in life. Perhaps you had a cheating spouse or were part of a toxic church. Wherever those funky lines of bad code came from...they can be corrected. Sometimes with a little simple thing like the realization my friend had....sometimes it may take deeper rewriting...but nonetheless, there is hope. 

So what is the next step? Well...you can't move forward until you first realize you're being held back. So, as always the number one thing to do and the best place to ALWAYS start any journey, is to pray. Prayer is a tool, a sort of red phone to God...so use it! You don't pray? Well...start! If you want to get someplace you've never been it requires you do something you've never done. 
I'm not talking some mamby pamby prayer either, I mean, dig out your garbage, expose the skeletons, 9-1-1 PRAY. Listen to me, God knows it all ANYWAY...all of it...so it's not like you're really pulling the wool over His eyes and hiding it from Him. So between you and Him alone, air out the laundry and ask Him to show you the areas of your life that have bad coding. (Tip: if you have situations, arguments, problems etc that always seem to come back up in your life, that probably means that you have a line of bad coding in there regarding that.) Next ask God to show you how to reprogram your heart, mind and soul so you can be a healthier person. Sound too easy? HAH....it only sounds that way...trust me...this will be the hardest battle you have fought in your life....but once all is said and done, it will be the most victorious freedom you have ever experienced. I can promise you that! I will be praying for you though, as I always do, and please if you are new here at AMH and you want to send me a specific prayer request, you can either post it in the comment thread or send me a message through Facebook. 

2 Corinthians 5:17 (New Living Translation)

¹⁷ This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!